[00:00:00] Kim: [00:00:00] This episode is sponsored by Mid Strike Magazine. The first diverse digital runners magazine visit midstrikemagazine.com to keep up to date on all of your diverse running news.

[00:00:21] Women’s history month continues with runner triathlete and coach Dionne, aka DD Fitspiration. Hey everybody. Welcome back to another episode of The Run Wave Podcast. I am your host Kim. If this is your first time tuning in, welcome to the show. If you are a return listener. Welcome back. I truly appreciate you tuning into this show week after week. If you are watching the show at [00:01:00] home, you see me sport and my fly, The Run Wave hoodie.

[00:01:04] Be sure to support the show and pick up your own hoodie. You can go to The Run Wave.com/shop and order a hoodie for yourself. They come in a variety of colors and we also have some ride, this wave tees and a cute ride. This wave hoodie as well. So be sure to go to the website and cop you some fresh, The Run Wave gear.

[00:01:28] It is still March and I am continuing highlighting great women for women’s history month. And next up I have Dionne. She is someone that I have known. Practically since the start of my running journey and our running slash Triathlon journeys have taken similar paths. And she is one of the reasons why I actually got into triathlon, why I ran my first [00:02:00] marathon.

[00:02:00] She’s just really been an inspiration, which lives up to her name, DD fitspiration, she’s been an inspiration to me for a very long time. And I think that you will really get into her story because it is just a story that fits so many of us. So it is very relatable. She’s a very relatable person and she also has a great book that is out, but you should definitely check out.

[00:02:28] So let’s get into our chat. All right, everybody, please. Welcome to the show. Runner, marathoner, iron man, fitness, nutrition, coach, triathlon coach. Oh, shoot. She’s a bunch of things. We’ll get into that. So please walk them Dionne to the show. Well, good. How are 

[00:02:55] Dionne: [00:02:55] you? I’m good. Thank you so much for having me. 

[00:03:00] [00:02:59] Kim: [00:02:59] Of course.

[00:03:00] It’s a long time coming. 

[00:03:02] Dionne: [00:03:02] Yes. Yes. I watched the shows all the time. They are so cool. So congratulations on The Run Wave. 

[00:03:10] Kim: [00:03:10] Thank you so much. I feel like I haven’t seen you like in person 

[00:03:14] Dionne: [00:03:14] in forever. It has been forever probably since I last trip together. 

[00:03:21] Kim: [00:03:21] 2019, April. 

[00:03:23] Dionne: [00:03:23] Yeah, that’s about right. Wow. 

[00:03:26] Kim: [00:03:26] Did I see you like a marathon?

[00:03:28] I think you won’t you ways before me, so each other there, but we see a tunnel on online. So it feels like we see each other more than we do, but yes, I’m happy to be able to finally with you on 

[00:03:41] Dionne: [00:03:41] the show. Yes. Thank you so much for having me happy to be here. 

[00:03:47] Kim: [00:03:47] Tell everyone a little bit about Deon. Where are you originally from?

[00:03:51] Dionne: [00:03:51] Sure. So my name is Deon. I am from the South shore of long Island. New York is pretty much [00:04:00] where I lived all my life. This is where I grew up. Um, I am 48 years old. I’ll be 49 this year. Um, I am a police officer with the Hempstead police department, uh, with the rank of detective and I’m assigned to the FBI gang task force, which I’ve been with them.

[00:04:26] The FBI has kind of barred me since, uh, 2009. I’ve been with them when the task force, since 2009, uh, I’ve been on a job in total for 24 years. Next year will be my 25th year. Wow. 

[00:04:42] Kim: [00:04:42] So you lived on long Island, your whole life, 

[00:04:45] Dionne: [00:04:45] my whole life, Kim I’ve, um, born and raised South shore long Island. We’ll tell you the exact town, but I didn’t know that.

[00:04:55] Yeah. Yeah. Well, you born in Atlanta.

[00:05:03] [00:05:00] Well, I know your mom lives in Atlanta, so where, where were you born in the 

[00:05:08] Kim: [00:05:08] Bronx? I’m from the Bronx. My mom moved to Atlanta 

[00:05:12] Dionne: [00:05:12] like six years ago. So that’s why I’m back and 

[00:05:14] Kim: [00:05:14] forth there so much, but why I thought you were from somewhere 

[00:05:19] Dionne: [00:05:19] else? No, so my parents are from Trinidad. I’m not sure that’s um, uh, but I was born here in the States.

[00:05:28] Um, but my parents are from Trinidad and Tobago, which is an Island in the Caribbean. Okay. 

[00:05:34] Kim: [00:05:34] Okay. So how do you like being a detective? A woman detective. 

[00:05:39] Dionne: [00:05:39] Yeah, so I love my job. Um, these last few years has been a little challenging. Um, but, um, it’s a career that, that I’d love to be honest with you. Um, It’s, you know, sometimes you’re like a girl trying to fit into a [00:06:00] guy’s world at work.

[00:06:01] Cause, um, the team that I belong on is, uh, an all men’s team. Um, it’s been like that since I joined. Um, but you know, you kind of get used to it and, um, kinda like one of the guys now, you know, so how is 

[00:06:20] Kim: [00:06:20] it? Are there a lot of women on the police force? 

[00:06:24] Dionne: [00:06:24] That’s a good question. So the Hempstead police department, like Freeport, Kim has their own police department.

[00:06:32] It’s a small village and we now have a lot of women on appointed department. Our department is really small. It’s about, I would say maybe close to 130 officers in total that’s including bosses and the chief. Um, and I would say. Well, when I came on, there was only, I don’t know, maybe four women, maybe five, I think one half retired that [00:07:00] year.

[00:07:00] Um, now we have, I would say at least 15 women, it sounds like it’s not a lot, but with the department of a hundred, it’s, you know, they’ve, they’ve come a long way. We have Hispanic women, we have black women, we have, uh, some white women. Um, they’ve, they’ve come a long way. I would send, we have at least 15 to 18 women now.

[00:07:25] Kim: [00:07:25] So they’re making progress slowly but surely. Yes. Right. So I see that you or your pitcher wold there, and I see your daughter, 

[00:07:37] Dionne: [00:07:37] he’ll tell us a little bit about your daughter. So my daughter, uh, her name is L’Oreal like the makeup. We call her Lulu for short. Uh, she works for hot 97, the radio station and her, her name there as they call her there as L’Oreal Luci.

[00:07:55] Um, she’s 30 years old. She actually turned 30 last [00:08:00] week. 

[00:08:00] Kim: [00:08:00] Maybe it’s 

[00:08:01] Dionne: [00:08:01] 30 now. She’s 30 years old. Yes. Oh my God. God. No 

[00:08:07] Kim: [00:08:07] of Lord’s getting all that means I’m getting old 

[00:08:08] Dionne: [00:08:08] too.  um, and she’s done fantastic. She loves her job. She, um, is in charge of the social media and digital aspect of, um, hot 97 and it’s um, you know, she went to school for journalism.

[00:08:28] She went to Buffalo state and um, she loves her.

[00:08:35] Kim: [00:08:35] I remember when she graduated, like. It doesn’t seem that long ago, but no 

[00:08:42] Dionne: [00:08:42] worries. Yes. Oh yeah. Like, um, it really is. Um, and I have to be honest, you know, during the pandemic, I really appreciate her job. We had allows her the flexibility to stay home, um, you [00:09:00] know, cause of the pandemic, Pam pandemic, excuse me, is just so much safer and makes me feel at ease.

[00:09:07] You know, how would 

[00:09:09] Kim: [00:09:09] the best for you during the pandemic? Because you’re on the front line basically. 

[00:09:14] Dionne: [00:09:14] Yeah. So, um, pretty much for the last, uh, 18 months I’ve been working six days a week, not a lot of time for fun stuff. And so last week when I took Laurie away for her birthday, um, You know that the pandemic was tough, you know, um, between the tamp pandemic and social injustice and stuff like that.

[00:09:42] It’s, it’s been a rough year. Um, but I’m not complaining. Like I said, I do love my job and, um, you know, while the whole world’s shut down pretty much, um, you know, I, I didn’t have the luxury of staying home [00:10:00] and, um, working online. I, you know, I still have to go, yeah, I know. And still, and still interact with people and you know, that was, that’s tough too, you know, you try to be as cautious as you can.

[00:10:15] And, um, you know, it just puts you in a real scary spot. You don’t know who, you know, who has it, who does it? It’s, you know, Sorry, you just try to be as carefully again. 

[00:10:29] Kim: [00:10:29] So you feel safer now because you got the vaccine, right? 

[00:10:34] Dionne: [00:10:34] I did get fully vaccinated. I’ve got the Marine Dharna. Am I pronouncing it right?

[00:10:41] No, 

[00:10:42] Kim: [00:10:42] I think it’s 

[00:10:43] Dionne: [00:10:43] third. I don’t know  but Dharna yeah. Um, I was fully vaccinated on February 10th is when I received my second shot. And, um, I wouldn’t say I feel safer [00:11:00] because my daughter is not vaccinated. So I’m still interacting with people at work. A lot of people at work on a daily basis. So I’m always afraid that I bring something home.

[00:11:11] So, um, although I’m vaccinated, I’m still super careful, you know, in terms of wearing a mask, washing my hands and, you know, doing all those things that we try to do to protect ourselves. 

[00:11:27] Kim: [00:11:27] Well, thank you for doing all that you do, because I come in everyone that has had to work through this pandemic because I’m lucky enough that I could sit at home all day bored, but you know, I can stay home, but a lot of people weren’t that fortunate and yeah, I commend you for going out there and still going out there every single day, because it’s not over people think that it’s over, but we’re like still in the thick of it.

[00:11:52] Dionne: [00:11:52] Absolutely. And I think, you know, especially this summer, although more people can get vaccinated, we still have to be [00:12:00] really careful. Um, you know, spring break is coming and just, you know, we all just have to be really careful and, you know, break is here. You didn’t 

[00:12:10] Kim: [00:12:10] see, they’ll see those videos in Miami.

[00:12:13] They twerking 

[00:12:15] Dionne: [00:12:15] crazy. Yeah. I just can’t even imagine. 

[00:12:19] Kim: [00:12:19] I mean, I can’t 

[00:12:19] Dionne: [00:12:19] believe it. And can we just shout out, not just to law enforcement, but all the other people on the front lines, like, you know, bus drivers, um, uh, sanitation people or grocery store clerks. I mean, you know, hospital workers, of course, every body from, you know, maintenance workers to nurses and doctors like shout out to everybody.

[00:12:43] We 

[00:12:44] Kim: [00:12:44] appreciate all that everyone has done during this time. Of course. 

[00:12:48] Dionne: [00:12:48] Yeah, definitely. Let’s get into 

[00:12:51] Kim: [00:12:51] your running journey. When did you start this thing that we all love 

[00:12:57] Dionne: [00:12:57] this recreational running. [00:13:00] Okay. So in the summer of 2012, um, is when I went to a local race in the town where I work in Hampstead, where they had, uh, it’s called Hempstead day.

[00:13:14] And it’s a S it’s, what’s considered a small race, a 5k. Um, normally every year I had worked the race where I was directing traffic and stuff like that. But this year I wanted to actually participate in the race. So I go to this race. We met, I believe I, any park. And before I went out before the race, I remember looking at my local radios, a TV station, news 12, where they was featuring a group called black girls run.

[00:13:48] And they talked about, you know, their running journey and how they meet weekly. And, um, I believe they were already at Kennedy [00:14:00] park and I was like, wow, that’s the race that I’m going to, uh, when I got there, I actually saw the one from this group, black girls run and a few of them, you know, I went up to, I don’t remember exactly who I spoke to, but they were very inviting and told me, you know, they meet.

[00:14:19] Weekly at the Freeport track. Um, and they were like, you should come out. And I was like, okay, you know, I’m pretty, but that was my, I think my second 5k, the first year I did it. Um, I walked in this, this year, that particular year, 2012, I did like a run walk. Um, after that race, I did go to the Freeport track where I met you and some other girls from the group.

[00:14:48] And, you know, you guys were great. It was like, you know, no judgements. It was, you know, everybody was at different levels. I feel like you guys were seasoned runners. [00:15:00] No. 

[00:15:00] Kim: [00:15:00] Okay. Now let me jump in here. So Deanna and I know each other through black girls run, that’s how we both started running. And I actually think that you started running before me because I started running in August of 2012.

[00:15:16] No. Okay. What’s that race? 

[00:15:19] Dionne: [00:15:19] The race was in June, but you started running before me. Yeah. I started running that race in Hempstead was in June of 2012. And, uh, like June, July, August is when I started going to, uh, the Freeport Baldwin track to Brian. Um, and you guys were like always dress cute you always had on you cute outfits and stuff like that.

[00:15:44] And I was like, man, I don’t want to be like that. Um, the girls had mentioned that they were doing a race that was coming up called the diva race. Some were doing a half-marathon others were [00:16:00] doing a 10 K and they were like, you should do it. And I was like, all right now, so I came to the track more often trying to be a little bit more consistent.

[00:16:09] My, uh, walks turned into a little walk, which is, you know, when you run and jog and then I learned how to jog. I did my first half marathon via the diva race. And I told her at that October, and it was the highest artists thing ever. O M G my daughter was in college at the time. And I remember coming home, I could barely walk.

[00:16:38] I was like, this is crazy. It was hard. It was to, to date. Then it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I felt so accomplished. I was like, wow. Um, many girls from black girls run had done that race. So, you know, we had all seen each other, you know, at the finish line. And that’s the race where they give you the [00:17:00] champagne and the Rose, the tea era, you know, pretty popular in different States.

[00:17:07] And then, uh, fast forward, a little bit someone in that group, um, same running group had mentioned. You know, they did try out blondes and they’re a triathlete and it was the first time I had honestly come, ever heard of those two words, triathlon and trap triathlete. Did you know anything about triathlons?

[00:17:27] Who would be the triathlete before BGR? 

[00:17:30] Kim: [00:17:30] You know, I watched the Kona race before, but I never really, like, it was just something on TV that I watch. You know, if you asked me what the sport wasn’t thinking like that I probably wouldn’t have known, but yeah, this is another little tidbit is that I got into triathlon because of Dionne.

[00:17:51] Dionne: [00:17:51] Oh 

[00:17:53] Kim: [00:17:53] yeah. Because you guys were training for that first race weekend or was 

[00:17:58] Dionne: [00:17:58] that [00:18:00] 2013? So 

[00:18:03] Kim: [00:18:03] we went from running to triathlon like that. Right. But I was the following year because 

[00:18:09] Dionne: [00:18:09] I saw 

[00:18:10] Kim: [00:18:10] you guys and I’m like, what are you guys doing? And you guys would train. And I didn’t know, I didn’t, you know, I watched it on TV, but didn’t really know.

[00:18:18] But yeah, you’re the reason why you and Lisa Lewis, like you’re you guys are the reason why I got into 

[00:18:24] Dionne: [00:18:24] triathlon. Wow. It’s um, so like I said, one of the girls in the group had mentioned she was a triathlete, does triathlons. And I have, unlike you, I have never saw it on TV. Never heard of those two words.

[00:18:39] And she mentioned she was doing a seminar about it. Um, in December of, uh, 2012 at Queens, uh, one of the colleges. So I went, a bunch of us, went from the group and it was so interesting. It was, you know, basically a triathlon [00:19:00] is a multi-sport where you slim bike and run. And that order and like marathons, there’s different distances.

[00:19:07] They, you know, everything from a smaller race, up to a bigger race. And, um, they mentioned in this seminar that there was a sprint triathlon coming up in April of 2013 and we should do it. And I was like, man, I just did this half marathon. And now you want me to add, uh, swimming and biking. Like, it sounds like really crazy, you know?

[00:19:35] And I was like, no, but where do I sign up? You know, it intrigued me a little bit, you know, So, um, so 2013, I did my first sprint triathlon, which was at the time the mini mighty man it’s, uh, the distance for sprint triathlon is useful 800 meters. You [00:20:00] bet, six miles and then you’ve run. Uh, some of, most of them are five Ks and that was super hard.

[00:20:07] I was like, Oh my God, I got like a coach for a group of us trained for it. And it was incredible. It was like the, the most amazing thing that I had done. Like I had done this half marathon in October, 2012, and it’s fast forward 2013. I did this sprint triathlon. So that’s kind of where I got hooked. I would say, um, and just seeing other women doing it, I was like, yeah, this isn’t bad.

[00:20:41] You know? Um, that summer, the coach, um, my coach, she’s still my coach, coach jacks. Uh, she was doing, um, I think it was Louisville. I believe she was doing an iron man that year called [00:21:00] iron man, Billy. And she was like, you know, you want to come? And I was like, okay. So her and her group of people, they drove to, when we go from New York and I took a plane and met them there and I got to spectate at an iron man.

[00:21:16] And I was like, this is incredible. It was August. It was hot. They don’t do the race in August anymore. Cause it’s, um, I think that was the last year they did it in August because of the extreme heat conditions. Um, it was, it felt like 110 degrees to me in the shades, just standing still. So I can’t even imagine what those athletes felt like, but just spectating at that arm, man was such an amazing experience.

[00:21:45] Um, uh, her mother was very good at spectating in terms of knowing when to meet her at different locations, you know, after the slim, after the bike, you know, in different [00:22:00] spots during the run, because, uh, my coast Jack’s had done other iron man’s. Like, I was like, man, she’s done this more than once 

[00:22:08] Kim: [00:22:08] crazy,

[00:22:11] Dionne: [00:22:11] you know? And, um, it was that August. I was like, you know what, I want to do an iron man. And she was like, all right, you know, um, so fast forward a little bit more that, so that. Spectating was an August of 2013. Um, I had done a half Ironman in, uh, 2013 also towards the end of the year I did the mighty Montauk.

[00:22:42] I think that’s what it’s called, um, out here in New York, on long Island. That was super hard. So that was, it’s kind of like every race was super hard, right? Oh my God. They really are. They really aren’t. [00:23:00] So I ended up, uh, doing my first active spectating in 2013 that Arvin in August. I did my first full iron man in 2014, uh, which was iron man mantra, blond bitches in Canada.

[00:23:19] Um, it was hard. It was, 

[00:23:25] Kim: [00:23:25] I know it was, I can’t even imagine. Cause 70.3 is hard. I can’t even imagine what doubled the distances. 

[00:23:33] Dionne: [00:23:33] 70.3 is hard and you know, one 40.6 was extreme, you know, extremely difficult. Um, we were very worried about the cutoff times because after I finished the, uh, the bike, it’s a very, it’s very hilly there.

[00:23:52] Um, just like marathons, you have, you know, locations where it’s flat, um, and Ironman [00:24:00] triathlons, just same thing. You have, um, areas where it’s either hilly or it’s flat, but it’s windy. So this particular place, the weather is nice, but it’s very hilly. Um, And when I got off the bike, I remember them rushing me.

[00:24:18] The volunteers rushing me into the tent when you get changed and was like, you gotta hurry up. You have literally five minutes before you, um, get cuddle off, you know, cause for each discipline you have a cutoff times, you know, where you have to do it within a certain amount of time. Otherwise you’re not considered, you know, an argument.

[00:24:41] So when I got off the bike, I literally had five minutes to,

[00:24:47] wow. I didn’t even change. I didn’t ha I put on sneakers of course. But the top that I had meant to wear to run in, I did not have time to change. It was wet. It was, you [00:25:00] know, you know, you have it’s, you know, like trying to take a broad top of off when you wet it. It was too much pressure. Um, So then, you know, I finished and I remember the feeling was just like so amazing.

[00:25:15] And I was like, I’m never doing this again. This is the, this is it’s too hard. It’s I’m never doing this again. And then I was like, you know, like a week later it’s like, all right, when is the next one? Where else can I do it? 

[00:25:29] Kim: [00:25:29] And now you’re seventh, seven iron man’s later. 

[00:25:34] Dionne: [00:25:34] Yes. 

[00:25:35] Kim: [00:25:35] That’s crazy. That is crazy. You know what?

[00:25:39] I’m going to get into this later, but I read your book and I didn’t know that you did a seven. I knew you did a lot. I didn’t know you did seven iron mans. 

[00:25:51] Dionne: [00:25:51] I did seven. So basically from 2014, up until, uh, 2009. I [00:26:00] didn’t, I did an Ironman every year, since 2014. Um, because of the pandemic, I wasn’t able to do it in 2020.

[00:26:07] I was schedules to iron man like Placid. Um, and I did two last year. Um, I did iron man macho blot it in August. And then in September I did iron man, Maryland. Um, which was my plans for 2020. I was going to do too. But you know, life happens. So, you know, don’t, I’m curious to know if, you know, I mean, I know, uh, Races are starting to slowly come back, but I’m interested to see if full Ironman races will be back this year.

[00:26:51] Kim: [00:26:51] There was a race this past weekend in Miami, um, challenge Miami. Yeah. So they’re racing in the [00:27:00] South and that was 

[00:27:01] Dionne: [00:27:01] a 70.3 

[00:27:02] Kim: [00:27:02] crash. Yeah, I think so. So if we want to race, I think we’re going to have to go to the South. Yeah. So in addition to the seven iron mans, you’ve done 19 marathons. 

[00:27:16] Dionne: [00:27:16] I’ve done a bunch of marathons, which I 

[00:27:18] Kim: [00:27:18] did no, either.

[00:27:19] I did not know that you’ve done that many marathons. I mean, I know you did a lot of New York city marathons, like over the years, but

[00:27:29] Dionne: [00:27:29] I did 19 marathons and I guess by now it would be 20 because when the book came out, I hadn’t done the, um, I did a virtual marathon. In 2020, the long Island marathon that was canceled. I did it virtually. So, um, that doesn’t show up in athletes, but it, it shows up on my Garmin. It counts for me. Um, a lot of marathons Kim.

[00:27:57] Um, I did [00:28:00] as like run cations, um, some that, uh, many that you are a part of and you organized, um, which was great. And some of them, I used as training for man races. Yeah. 

[00:28:17] Kim: [00:28:17] And I, um, I was reading what you said, like Barbados was like one of your hardest marathons that you ever did. 

[00:28:25] Dionne: [00:28:25] Oh my God. That was the year when I wanted to stop after the halfway point and Wendy.

[00:28:33] Okay. With that, us on the trip had never done a marathon before never trained for a marathon before she was like, come on, let’s do it. We can do it that no, honestly, Barbados was one of the, I don’t know if I didn’t train well enough for it. I know it was hot. It 

[00:28:51] Kim: [00:28:51] was, I think it was the heat. And I don’t know if you remember about, at the turnaround 

[00:28:55] Dionne: [00:28:55] point, we re 

[00:28:57] Kim: [00:28:57] I ran into you.

[00:28:59] Yes. 

[00:29:00] [00:28:59] Dionne: [00:28:59] And another girl. And it was you and Wendy, and 

[00:29:03] Kim: [00:29:03] there’s a picture of the four of us. And like, we’re talking to you and I just remember, like, you didn’t want to go on, but you have Wendy bear and it’s like, even if she wasn’t there, that you think you would have just. I would have stopped. I would have stopped all hard.

[00:29:20] I mean, people don’t realize how hot it gets and this is in December and in the Caribbean. But our bait also is so far South, like it’s very close to the equator. So that’s why it’s so hot. But those, I agree with you. That’s like one of the hardest places to run it because of that extreme 

[00:29:37] Dionne: [00:29:37] heat. The heat was, and I have done, uh, at that point I had done Jamaica marathon twice, which is also hot.

[00:29:46] Um, those races start at 5:00 AM. So you’ve done, you know, uh, by nine. 10 11 o’clock in the morning, but Barbados, for some reason, for me that till this day was still [00:30:00] my hardest marathon. And if Wendy wasn’t there, I most likely would not have continued. The, the water that they were given out at that point was tasted like tea.

[00:30:10] They said, yes, it literally tasted like, and you know, they say, you’re not supposed to drink it, you know, cold, cold water, but I needed cold water, even a port on my head just felt like bath water, but Wendy got me through it. That’s, you know, she got me through 

[00:30:30] Kim: [00:30:30] it less than that, that I remember when we went back, I don’t know.

[00:30:35] It might’ve been two years later. It was even worse. Like the girls were like, had to get off and get an ambulance. It was so bad. It was like, It was really bad. Like after that, if we ever went back, I would discourage people for signing up for the marathon. Like it’s it’s a lot.

[00:30:54] Dionne: [00:30:54] Yeah. Do you remember what time of day that race started?

[00:30:57] Was it, it did start at 5:00 [00:31:00] AM. Okay. Yeah.

[00:31:02] Kim: [00:31:02] The sun comes up there. It’s like, by like six 30, it’s like